Hank also lifted his restraining order on Mary, after gaining the promise that she wouldn’t get within fifteen feet of him during the festivities.
As if on cue, Mary craned her neck, looking down the edge of the crowd.
“See him?” Jane asked.
“No, but I think Lizzy’s man is coming over. That, or he’s about to do a runner.”
Lizzy followed her gaze to where Will was walking along the periphery of the crowd, beer in hand. His face was grim, watching the scene with a mixture of confusion and aloofness.
She watched him approach, the lights from the stage flashing across his face as he came to a stop at her side.
“It’s rude to stare, you know,” he murmured.
She smiled. “Mary thinks you’re a flight risk.”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Because you look miserable.”
“Of course I’m miserable. Do you know what this song is about?”
Jane laughed as Mary rolled her eyes. “Thankyou.”
He let a crooked smile turn up the corner of his lips, then he raised his arm, the way he always did, inviting Lizzy into his side. She accepted, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.
Even after nine months, she couldn’t get enough of his smell. That distinctive mix of sandalwood and leather, which she now knew was his body wash. She turned to press her nose against his shirt and inhaled. Then she looked up, her chin resting on his chest.
“Hello, Mr. Darcy.”
“Hello, Ms. Bennet. Having a good time?”
She nodded, taking a deep sniff of his shirt again.
“You’re not going to steal this one, too, are you?”
“Maybe.”
He chuckled.
Mary groaned. “You two are gross.”
Jane sighed, her eyes returning to the crowd. She had been looking for Charlie for the better part of an hour, and so far, no luck. Once the pair reunited last year, and Charlie decided the trip out to East Hampton from New York was much more pleasant in a car, he spent the weekends at his new beach house with Jane. Tonight marked their one-year anniversary of meeting, and she wanted to spend every second with him.
“Have you asked Freddie if he’s seen Charlie?” Will suggested, pointing to the left side of the stage where Freddie Wentworth stood next to Birdie, casually sporting a look of restrained amusement on his face. Ever since he had decided to move back to the East Coast permanently, Birdie Carrington had been relentless in herpursuit to find Freddie the perfect turnkey apartment in the city. Unfortunately for Freddie, now a signed client, it seemed he would also receive the hard sell when it came to her quest to try to unload Marv’s Lament as a summer rental yet again.
“He looks busy,” Jane replied diplomatically.
“Do you think he’s trying to see how long Birdie can go without taking a breath?” Lizzy mused.
“He might be there awhile,” Will replied with a side glance.
Onstage, the DJ started looping the song, mixing “Born in the U.S.A.” with “Straight Outta Compton,” and the crowd began to oscillate between dancing and jumping, trying to find the overriding beat. Lizzy didn’t move, though, just relaxed against Will until Jane pointedly cleared her throat.
“Mary, eleven o’clock,” she said in such a loud stage whisper that a few people nearby turned around.
Mary’s head snapped in that direction, just in time to see Hank heading toward them, his face red and movements frantic. To anyone else, it would look like he was close to a heart attack, but Lizzy knew that the man had never been so stressed—and so happy—in his entire life.
“Right, I’m out,” Mary said. “Text me when he’s gone. I’ll be over at Kitty’s table.”
